Strathmore University Water Governance & Innovation Hub

The Strathmore University Business School Water Governance & Innovation Hub builds the skills and knowledge needed to improve water management across Africa. Through training, research, and innovation, the Hub drives data-driven solutions in policy, finance, and technology, while advancing SDGs 5 & 6 on gender equality and access to safe water and sanitation.

Strathmore University Water Governance & Innovation Hub

2025-10-01T14:34:33+03:00

Water for People. Water for Progress.

About the Water Governance & Innovation Hub

The Strathmore University Business School Water Governance & Innovation Hub builds the skills and knowledge needed to improve water management across Africa. Through training, research, and innovation, the Hub drives data-driven solutions in policy, finance, and technology, while advancing SDGs 5 & 6 on gender equality and access to safe water and sanitation.

Introduction

Access to safe water and sanitation remains one of the most pressing challenges in Africa, directly impacting health, economic growth, and social development. Despite progress, millions of people still face limited or unsafe water services, while climate change, rapid urbanisation, and population growth continue to strain water resources. Effective governance of this vital resource has never been more urgent.

The Water Governance Hub was established as a response to these challenges—providing a dedicated space for professional development, research, and innovation in the water sector. By bringing together experts, policymakers, researchers, and communities, the Hub serves as a catalyst for building stronger capacities, promoting evidence-based decision-making, and shaping sustainable water governance systems across Africa.

Our Vision

To provide formidable multi-disciplinary continuous professional development for water professionals.

To strengthen water governance across Africa through research, innovation, training, and data-driven solutions.

The Challenge we Address

Water is life. Yet millions in Kenya and East Africa face daily struggles to access it.

  • Governance and accountability remain weak.
  • Financing structures often fail to support long-term solutions.
  • Women and girls carry the heaviest burden, spending hours daily fetching water.
  • Communities most affected by water insecurity rarely have a voice in shaping policies.

Our Response:

The Hub is rewriting the story of water. We bring together academics, policymakers, businesses, civil society, and local communities to co-create inclusive, evidence-based, and sustainable solutions.

Get Involved

The Water Governance Hub is shaping a future where water resources are managed sustainably, equitably, and innovatively. Your participation is vital in this journey. Whether you’re a student, professional, policymaker, researcher, or community leader, there’s a place for you at the Hub.

  1. Learn with Us: Build your expertise through our short courses, postgraduate programmes, and training sessions in water governance, finance, ethics, legislation, and policy.
  2. Partner on Research & Innovation: Collaborate on evidence-based research, policy dialogues, and symposia that influence decision-making and strengthen water management systems across Africa.
  3. Join Community Dialogues: Engage in forums that bring communities, governments, and organisations together to co-create solutions for safe water, sanitation, and waste management in line with SDG 6.
  4. Support Our Mission: Contribute through partnerships, resources, and funding to expand our reach. Your support helps establish cutting-edge data centres, publish research, and empower women and girls most affected by water challenges.

Join the Water Governance and Innivation Hub Community

Stay at the forefront of water governance, innovation, and sustainability. By signing up, you’ll be the first to receive updates on our research, training, and opportunities to engage.

Why Sign Up?

  1. Learn with us: Get updates on our short courses, postgraduate programmes, and training in water governance, finance, ethics, legislation, and policy.
  2. Stay informed: Receive our newsletter featuring the latest research, data insights, policy briefs, and case studies from across Africa.
  3. Engage with a network: Be the first to know about upcoming webinars, symposia, and community dialogues with leaders and practitioners in the water sector.
  4. Discover opportunities: Explore new partnerships, collaborative projects, and ways to support our mission of safe, sustainable water for all.

Click here to sign up and be part of Africa’s water governance transformation.

Contact

For more information, reach out to womamo@strathmore.edu or call +254 703 034 414.

Our Focus Areas

Water Governance, Policy, and Leadership

Water Governance, Policy, and Leadership

Strengthening governance systems, promoting ethical practices, addressing gender issues, and amplifying community voices in decision-making.

Economics, Finance, and Competitiveness

Economics, Finance, and Competitiveness

Exploring innovative financing models, enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of the water sector, and supporting organizations in developing sustainable performance strategies.

Sustainability, Climate, and Resilience

Sustainability, Climate, and Resilience

Driving solutions in sustainable water management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and improving sanitation services to ensure long-term resilience.

Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Generation

Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Generation

Advanced research, promoting cutting-edge water technologies, and creating platforms for knowledge sharing through education, training, and dialogue.

What we Do

  1. Capacity Building – Training, short courses, and executive education.
  2. Research & Knowledge – Evidence-based research, data centre, journal publications, and knowledge repository.
  3. Innovation & Engagement – Technology adoption, workshops, symposia, and knowledge-sharing platforms.
  4. Policy & Partnerships – Community dialogues, policy advocacy, and collaborations with governments, NGOs, and private sector.

Our Team

Dr. Irene Ngunjiri

Hub Director

Dr. George Njenga

Senior researcher and advisor to the hub

Dr. Elizabeth Gachenga

Senior researcher and advisor to the hub

Dr. Sarah Muigai

Senior researcher and advisor to the hub

Winnie Omamo

Project Coordinator

Mr. William Mboya

Senior researcher and advisor to the hub

Dr. Damaris Ochanda

Senior researcher and advisor to the hub

Purity Kerubo

Communications Officer

Our Projects

Sustainably Unlocking the Economic Potential of Lake Turkana

Sustainably Unlocking the Economic Potential of Lake Turkana

In partnership with UNESCO, the World Food Programme, Kenya Wildlife Service, and the National Museums of Kenya, this project combines science, policy, and community voices to protect livelihoods, culture, and biodiversity in northern Kenya.

Why Lake Turkana Matters
Known as the Cradle of Mankind, Lake Turkana is more than a water body—it is food, water, heritage, and hope. Yet communities face harsh realities: women walking up to 10 hours for water, families skipping meals, and sacred sites threatened by climate change.

Our Approach

  • Enumerator Training & Surveys: Equipping local youth to collect accurate data in Lodwar and Marsabit.
  • Key Themes: Water security, food and nutrition, heritage, and biodiversity.
  • Fieldwork Outcomes: Authentic insights into how water, food, and culture are interlinked.

Why It Matters
Every number carries a human story: a mother skipping meals for her children, a girl missing school to fetch water, or a fisherman losing income to shrinking breeding grounds. This project underscores that water governance is ultimately about dignity and opportunity.

Our Vision for Lake Turkana

  • Gender-sensitive solutions that ease the burden on women and girls.
  • Stronger community-owned water systems.
  • Protecting heritage while unlocking eco-tourism and renewable energy potential.
  • Locally driven, accountable water management.

Partners:

  • UNESCO
  • World Food Programme
  • Kenya Wildlife Service
  • National Museums of Kenya

EcoRural Project – Sustaining Rural Water Systems in Kenya and Ghana

EcoRural Project – Sustaining Rural Water Systems in Kenya and Ghana

Launched in October 2024, EcoRural strengthens rural water systems by building inclusive governance capacities and integrating technical, ecological, and financial sustainability. It is implemented with partners including IHE Delft (Netherlands), Siaya-Bondo Water and Sanitation Company (SIBOWASCO), Sirembe Community Water and Sanitation Project (SICOWAP), African Water Watch Limited, Ghana’s Community Water and Sanitation Agency, Kumasi Technical University, and others.

Thematic Areas

  • Water and Health
  • Water for Food
  • River Basins and Deltas

What We’ve Done

  • Governance Training: Revealed that poor governance, not technical failure, is the leading cause of rural water system collapse.
  • Asset Management Workshop: Built capacity in preventive maintenance, life-cycle costing, and climate resilience.
  • Ethnographic Training: Grounded research in community realities, ensuring water systems reflect lived experiences.

Why It Matters

From Siaya to Ghana, EcoRural demonstrates that sustainable rural water access depends not only on infrastructure, but on strong governance, transparent finances, and community ownership.

Our Vision for EcoRural

  • Replicable models of sustainable rural water systems across Africa.
  • Professionalised community management and stronger local leadership.
  • Integration of research findings into county- and national-level policies.

Partners

  • IHE Delft (Netherlands)
  • Siaya-Bondo Water and Sanitation Company (SIBOWASCO)
  • Sirembe Community Water and Sanitation Project (SICOWAP)
  • African Water Watch Limited
  • Ghana’s Community Water and Sanitation Agency
  • Kumasi Technical University

Articles & Publications | Strathmore Water Governance and Innovation Hub

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